[compost_tea] saponin and yucca

From: chris reid <reidchris_at_earthlink.net>
Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2003 10:41:20 -0500

Kirk,

Thanks for doing research on the question of saponin and yucca. Never a bad
idea.

I read your linked article. Interesting. So far, am missing what it is
that makes it a bad spreader. I will try your search terms later.

I think it's real important to start to think beyond "microorganisms" and
"bacteria" and "fungi" to at least the aerobic/anaerobic level, and even
beyond to specific groups of microorganisms. I got myself into trouble
thinking generically about "mycorrhizae" - one finds out pretty soon that
it's helpful to get beyond the broad brush to understand what to expect from
"them". "They" turn out not to be all alike in their preferences and
activities!

"Yucca extracts are extensively used for ammonia and odor control in pig and
poultry-raising facilities and in dog and cat foods."

Aren't the ammonia producing microorganisms the anaerobic ones? That's what
I have come to understand. Ammonia formation in the soil may occur under
anaerobic conditions, and is one of the ways nitrogen is off-gassed
(volatilized) and lost as a nutrient in the soil. The yucca does "ammonia
binding activity" which sounds like it may be taking away some of the toxic
effects of anaerobic conditions. It may also be keeping the nitrogen in the
soil. Into what form the ammonia is bound is not clear to this non-science
major.

So I find myself asking what the action is and under what conditions this
action takes place -- that will help understand whether all bacteria are
likely to be killed or bacteria that exist under certain conditions. Is it
antifungal under the same conditions as antibacterial? Somebody wrote that
they got their best fungal numbers when using yucca extract (extract? or
just "yucca"?) in their tea. Maybe the antibacterial properties, if active
under tea brewing conditions, worked to their advantage. Don't know if
others have replicated/tested this experience.

We know that vinegar can both kill microorganisms and be used as a pH
adapter in tea, depending on the quantity used. So, one could say that if
adjusting the pH helps microorganisms to proliferate, at some levels it
actually can be part of encouraging good tea. Quantity is important to
consider here, too.

So -- I'd like to hear from others who have researched this further. I have
not done a leaf assay when using yucca extract as a spreader, but as a
spreader it has proved more effective for me on rose leaves than Nufilm, so
I will be interested in hearing from anyone who has done leaf assays after
using yucca - re: the quantities used, it is often in the teaspoons per
gallon of undiluted tea.

Chris Reid





------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada.
http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511
http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/0PSxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
compost_tea-unsubscribe_at_yahoogroups.com

 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/




Received on Sun Nov 30 2003 - 12:03:17 EST

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Tue Feb 07 2012 - 14:14:54 EST